Portable blower heater



April 5, 1949. s. J. HElMAN PORTABLE BLOWER HEATER Filed Jan. 24, 1945 m m w m 3 A Z. 4 w M K 1 l l i Hu k m bbn f7 i W 1 3 2 j Z G p:

SIDNEY J HUMAN Patented Apr. 5, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE BLOWER HEATER Sidney J. Heiman, St. Louis, Mo.

Application January 24, 1945, Serial No. 574,396

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates generally to portable heaters, and more particularly to such heaters that are intended to be used as auxiliary or relief heaters, as for instance in bath-rooms and the like during such times as the regular heating system is out of service or not fully effective.

The invention has among its objects the production of such a heater that may be easily transported from place to place, as needed, and that will be self-supported by simple placement on the floor or the like, and which will be otherwise eflicient and satisfactory for use as desired.

A principal object of my invention is to so con struct a devic of the kind described, that it will operate with a minimum of noise and vibration, and with a minimum of wear and attendance such as is caused by bearings, this being had by mounting. the rotary element of the device by means constantly under tension, these means interconnecting said rotary element and the cooperating stationary element and having their longitudinal axes lying in the plane that passes through the centre of gravity and point of equilibrium of the rotary element, said tension means being the sole means supporting and carrying the rotary means.

Another object of my invention is to so construct the tension mounting means aforesaid, so as. to permit of radial adjustment of the rotary means relative to the stationary member and enable precise centering in mounting.

A further object of this invention is to so construct the device that the blower and its driving motor will be connected together as a movable unit, and may be inserted into the blower housing entirely from one side of the latter, and just as easily and readily withdrawn from the same side when any inspection, cleaning or other work is required on the device, the sole mounting between the housing and the said unit being through the tension means hereinbefore men-- tioned.

The invention has among its other objects, the production of a device of the kind described that shall be relatively simple and economical in construction and operation, have a comparatively few parts, and which will be otherwise satisfactory and efficient for use wherever deemed applicable.

Many other objects and advantages of the construction herein. shown and described, will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, as will be apparent from the disclosures herein given.

To this end, my invention consists in the novel arrangement, construction and combination of parts herein shown and described, and the uses mentioned, as will be more clearly pointed out in the following specification.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the views,

Figure l is a side elevation of the device, with. parts broken away and others removed, in order to show th construction more clearly; and

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the device, also with parts broken away in order to show the construction more clearly, and illustrating the manner of withdrawing the blower and its motor as a unit.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, there is shown a blower heater unit adapted for warming air and forcibly discharging the same across the floor of a room, as for instance a bath-room, and although it may be used as the sole source of heat for the room or area, yet in most instances it will serve as a secondary or auxiliary heater, and used whenever it is expedient. The device is fully portable and r may be set down. on the floor or any supporting.

surface, and plugged into the electrical outlet closest at hand.

The device comprises a casing, container or housing adapted to enclose the operating ele-.

ments, and being of suitable size and shape, somewhat as shown, and of a material sufficientlydurable to withstand the heat engendered, handling, and rigid enough to be self-supporting when placed in operative position. A fan or blower, driven by a suitabl electric motor, and connected to the latter as an operative unit, is mounted on the housing to circulate the air therethrough in a manner hereinafter set forth, and a resistance member or heater element energized by the electrical current, is interposed within said housing in the path of circulation of the air through the latter.

This housing consists of a blower-receiving ele-- ment I, a heating element holder 2, and a base element 3, these three portions being secured together to form the housing member as a whole.

The element 1 is hollow to provide a chamber for receiving the fan or blower therein, with an air inlet or intake 4 in its side wall, and with an outlet opening 5 leading to the rear of its upper open rear communicating at 8 with the opening I of the upright element, and with its forward open end 9 preferably flared laterally as compared with its rear end, so as to discharge the air therefrom partially sidewise, as well as forwardly. The bottom walls of said elements 2 and 3 are preferably substantially fiat so that the device may be well supported on any flat surface, such as the room floor.

A resistance member I!) may be mounted in the chamber of the element 2, to be energized electrically through an electrical connection, and whereby the air passed through said chamber may be suitably heated, prior to its discharge from the housing.

Inasmuch as devices of this kind are generally constructed of sheet metal, or similarly light material, and are apt to develop noises in operation,

tension means constantly absorbing movement which noises are not only objectionable in themselves but are often indicative of wear between the rotary and stationary cooperating members of the device, I have so constructed this device as to minimize such noise and wear.

To this end I have mounted the rotary unit so that its attachment to the housing is solely through means under tension, as will now be set forth. The fan or blower Il may be of any type desired, as for example the squirrel-cage fan, and is fixed to its shaft l2. An electric motor I3 may be employed to drive this fan and may have its shaft common to the shaft [2, and whereby the fan and motor will form an assembly unit for mounting and dismounting relative to the housing.

Any suitable means constantly under tension, as for example, the coil springs [4 shown, may be used for mounting the fan-motor unit to the relatively stationary housing. These springs extend radially from the said unit and have their longitudinal axes lying in the same plane as the center of gravity of the said unit, so that the latter will be in equilibrium in operation.

These springs have their inner ends secured to said unit, as for example to a collar [5 carried by the latter, and with their outer ends secured to the housing or to a flange l6 detachably secured to the housing by means of screws I 7 or the like. As shown in the drawings, these springs are constantly in tension when the fan-motor unit is positioned in cooperative relation with the housing, and this forms the sole securement or mounting between said unit and housing. There need be no other bearing or journalling between the rotary member and the housing; hence there is no need for lubrication of such bearing, nor will there be wear normally incident to such bearings. The vibration and rotary rubbing will be omitted or minimized, and noise will be materially reduced, that normally comes from friction and vibration.

If it is desired to provide for more precise centering of said unit relative to the blower enclosure, this may be done as for example by the threaded adjustable securement nuts I 8 at one end of the springs.

It is extremely simple to detach or mount the fan-motor unit whenever required, such as for example to clean out the interior of the fan or housing, for inspection, and for any other purpose. This may be done entirely from one side of the device, and nothing need be removed or adjusted at the other side of the device, and the dotted lines of Fig. 2 illustrate the withdrawing of the unit, to the right, simply by unfastening and vibration gently and quietly at all times.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various immaterial modifications may be made in the same without departing from t e spirit of my invention; hence I do not wish to 3:2 understood as limiting myself to the exact for arrangement, construction and combination of parts herein shown and described, or uses mentioned, except as limited by the state of the art to which this invention appertains, and the claims hereunto appended.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A housing having a normally horizontal rotary driven means therein, means for mounting the latter comprising a single set of coil tension springs interconnecting said rotary means and housing and with their longitudinal axes lying in the same plane as the center of gravity of said rotary means and constituting the sole interconnection between said rotary means and housing, and means for centering said rotary driven means with respect to said housing.

2. In a hot air blower, a casing having an inlet, an outlet, a passageway between the two, an air heating means in said passageway, and means for drawing air into the casing through said inlet and passing it in contact with the heating means and through said outlet, said means comprising a unit consisting of a blower and an electric motor, the blower being disposed in the casing adjacent said inlet, a support for the unit adapted to encircle the same and disposed at the opposite side of the casing from said inlet, a single set of circumferentially spaced tension coil springs extending radially between the unit and the support and connecting them, said springs being detachably connected to at least one of the said support and unit, all of said springs lying in the same vertical plane and having their longitudinal axes lying in the same plane as the center of gravity of said unit, said springs comprising the sole means for connecting and mounting said unit on said support.

SIDNEY J. HEIMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,536,407 Pettus May 5, 1925 1,653,109 Krietemeyer Dec. 20, 1927 1,795,313 Nies Mar. 10, 1931 1,929,776 Faber Oct. 10, 1933 1,991,280 Hynes Feb. 12, 1935 2,178,077 Loftis Oct. 31, 1939 2,218,212 Nassos Oct. 15, 1940 2,311,396 Judkins Feb. 16, 1943 2,340,542 Lubberhuizer Feb. 1, 1944 2,349,215 Wahlborg May 16, 1944 

